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Extremely Graphic: Photos of shootout between Mexican authorities and Gulf Cartel members

Violence associated with organized crime and the drug trade continues throughout Mexico, with the number of homicides so far this year reaching almost 5,000. For comparison, the 5,700 organized crime-related killings in 2008 made that year the deadliest yet in the country’s cartel war. With nearly four months left in 2009, it is all but inevitable that 2009 will be another record year for violence.

One particularly noteworthy incident from this past week occurred on the afternoon of Sept. 4 in Matamoros, Tamaulipas state, just across the border from Brownsville, Texas. The incident began after Mexican authorities detained at least one mid-level member of the Gulf cartel. In response, a firefight broke out as other Gulf members tried (and failed) to rescue the prisoner, placing vehicles and other obstacles along city streets in order to impede the movement of the federal police and military forces transporting the detainee.

Several other related firefights occurred in the city over the next 24 hours, leaving an unknown number of casualties. The presumed leaders of the Gulf cartel — Antonio Ezequiel “Tony Tormenta” Cardenas Guillen and Eduardo “El Cos” Costilla Sanchez — were reported to have been involved in the initial engagement. The fact that both may have participated in the firefight suggests that authorities may have been relatively close to the cartel’s leadership.

While incidents like this occur several times a week throughout Mexico, this case is noteworthy because of its proximity to the U.S. border and the fact that several stray bullets actually struck the campus of the University of Texas at Brownsville. No one was wounded on the campus, which reportedly had few students present due to the upcoming Labor Day holiday. Nevertheless, such incidents highlight the risks that Mexican drug violence can pose to U.S. citizens.